Sunday, April 26, 2009

Weekend check-in

We got a dreaded phone call about 12:15 last night about Mason and how he needed surgery immediately; things weren't looking good. After a lot of sweat and stress, they called back half an hour later and said he looked better and they were holding off. Phew! Today he's doing better, but he'll have to be there a bit still. Argh! I'm missing my kitty.

We're trying to get as much moved today as we can but lordy, it's stressful. We've gotten a few loads over and have a few more to go. We're going to take the cat over tonight and let her wander while we do some unpacking. I'm not unpacking entirely, since I'm hoping we really won't be there too long and we'll be back in the midwest.

In happier news, I wanted to share another of my favorite poems. I love Jane Kenyon, and it was this poem that introduced me to her. In 11th grade, we had to do an obscene number of presentations -- which ultimately was good for me -- but one of them was about Thoreau's Walden. We had to choose a poem to recite and tie into our memorization of the famous lines of his piece. I fell in love with this one and tied it into the story of butterfly woman, who lived in the giant redwoods in California.

Killing the Plants

That year I discovered the virtuesof plants as companions: they don'targue, they don't ask for much,they don't stay out until 3:00 A.M., thenlie to you about where they've been....

I can't summon the ambitionto repot this grape ivy, of this sadold cactus, or even to move them outonto the porch for the summer,where their lives would certainlyimprove. I give thema grudging dash of water – that's allthey get. I wonder if they suspect

that like Hamlet I rehearse murderall hours of the day and night,considering the town dumpand compost pile as possible graves....

The truth is that if I permit themto live, they will go on givingalms to the poor: sweet air, miraculousflowers, the example of persistence.